Journal article
Sex-related functional asymmetry of the ventromedial prefrontal cortex in regard to decision-making under risk and ambiguity
Neuropsychologia, Vol.75, pp.265-273
08/2015
DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2015.06.015
PMCID: PMC4546519
PMID: 26111489
Abstract
Previous work has provided preliminary indication of sex-related functional asymmetry of the ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC) in social and emotional functions and complex decision-making. Findings have been inconsistent, and based on small numbers of patients. Given the rarity of these neurological cases, replicable results across studies are important to build evidence for sex-related functional asymmetry of the vmPFC. Here we used a sample of sixteen neurological patients with unilateral damage to the left or right vmPFC and examined differences between men and women on a task that probed decision-making under risk or decision-making under ambiguity. We found that men with right-hemisphere vmPFC damage and women with left-hemisphere vmPFC damage demonstrated significantly reduced aversion to risk and ambiguity. Men with damage to the left vmPFC and women with damage to the right vmPFC showed aversion to risk and ambiguity comparable to participants with left or right-sided brain damage outside the vmPFC, and to comparison participants without brain damage. Our results add to previous findings of sex-related functional asymmetry of the vmPFC in decision-making. Our study also replicates findings of no observable behavioral differences between men and women without neurological damage on tests of decision-making. This pattern of neurobiological divergence but behavioral convergence between men and women may reflect a complex interplay of neuroendocrine, developmental, and psychosocial factors.
•There are sex differences in vmPFC laterality in decision making.•Men with right-sided, women with left-sided vmPFC damage show lower aversion to risk.•Men with right-sided, women with left-sided vmPFC damage show less ambiguity aversion.•Neural substrates supporting similar behavioral performance can differ between sexes.
Details
- Title: Subtitle
- Sex-related functional asymmetry of the ventromedial prefrontal cortex in regard to decision-making under risk and ambiguity
- Creators
- Matthew J Sutterer - Department of Neurology, University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, Iowa City, IA, USATimothy R Koscik - Department of Psychology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, CanadaDaniel Tranel - Department of Neurology, University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, Iowa City, IA, USA
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Publication Details
- Neuropsychologia, Vol.75, pp.265-273
- DOI
- 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2015.06.015
- PMID
- 26111489
- PMCID
- PMC4546519
- NLM abbreviation
- Neuropsychologia
- ISSN
- 0028-3932
- eISSN
- 1873-3514
- Publisher
- Elsevier Ltd
- Grant note
- DOI: 10.13039/100000026, name: National Institute on Drug Abuse, award: R01 DA022549; DOI: 10.13039/100000065, name: National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, USA, award: P01 NS19632; name: McDonnell Foundation Collaborative Action Award, award: #220020387; DOI: 10.13039/501100000038, name: NSERC (Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada), Canada; DOI: 10.13039/501100000024, name: CIHR (Canadian Institutes of Health Research)
- Language
- English
- Date published
- 08/2015
- Academic Unit
- Neurology; Psychiatry; Psychological and Brain Sciences; Iowa Neuroscience Institute
- Record Identifier
- 9984002339002771
Metrics
35 Record Views